Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fabrics and articles that provide protection to workers from electrical arcs.
Description of Related Art
Industrial workers and others who can be exposed to electrical arcs and the like need protective clothing and articles made from thermally resistant fabrics. Any increase in the effectiveness of these protective articles or any increase in the comfort of these articles while maintaining protection performance is welcomed.
Carbon particles have been used as a spun-in pigment in the coloration of fibers, the black color of carbon being effective in generating dark shades.
It has been found that if carbon particles are spun into fibers made from fire resistant and thermally stable polymers, the resulting yarns, fabrics, and garments provide dramatically improved arc protection. However, the carbon particles tend to make fibers having a dark shade, and arc-protective fabrics and garments of lighter shade are desired in many instances. For example, garments having darker shades are more difficult to see at night and in low-visibility situations. On the other hand, some garment manufacturers simply wish to have the ability to provide a variety of color shades to address the fashion choices of their customers.
Therefore, what is needed is a method to have arc protection that is both the dramatically improved and has desirable color shades.